


Pale in Comparison

by Kasen



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Fluff, Friendship, M/M, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-25
Updated: 2018-12-25
Packaged: 2019-09-27 07:35:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,703
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17157914
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kasen/pseuds/Kasen
Summary: Shiro learns a little about Keith, and a little about himself. Facing Keith was easy —his friend meant the world to him. He would be there for Keith no matter what.Facing his own feelings, however, was a little more difficult.





	Pale in Comparison

As a young man, Shiro knew Keith was different. He seemed to hate the sun. He burned easily if he didn’t use sunblock and even when he didn’t burn, his resting face on a beautiful summer day reflected that of resentful teen being punished. With that, Keith was also very picky. He didn’t eat much, and when he did, it seemed of no value to him. He looked like whatever he ate didn’t taste good or bad —just bland. And lastly, Keith seemed incapable of enjoying physical contact. Sure, some people needed their space and could do without hugs or kisses, but Keith refused even the smallest of touches. Only with Shiro —only after _years_ of friendship, did he seem comfortable with a brief shoulder squeeze or a quick high-five. The contact had to be fleeting or else Keith would lock up and refuse to make eye-contact with him for the rest of the day.

It was nothing Shiro wasn’t used to. Although Shiro was a few years older than Keith, they grew up together. And though their age made them go their separate ways twice; once at high school and again at University, Keith always followed Shiro wherever he went. They were inseparable. Shiro couldn’t do half the things he accomplished without Keith’s support, and likewise was true for the other. They were best friends through thick and thin, so when Keith called Shiro and asked him if he could pick him up from school because it was really late in the evening and snowing like mad, Shiro didn’t hesitate.

When Shiro pulled up to their University’s library, all he had to do was honk twice before Keith appeared, making his slow approach through the snow storm and towards the car. Shiro frowned as the other first struggled to open the door, and then to close it behind him. Despite clapping his feet outside the car, a huge pile on snow was tracked in, both by his boots along with the flurry happening outside. 

“Sorry about this,” Keith sighed as he guided his backpack to his lap and threw on his seatbelt. “I checked the news and they said that they were pausing bus services for the rest of the night.”

“Don’t apologize,” Shiro smiled. “Studying hard?” He asked while pulling away from the abandoned school and towards the slow streets. Traffic was light and yet everyone, Shiro included, were moving at a snail’s pace. The snow storm was bad. It was stacking too, making it difficult to navigate the unsalted roads. Shiro felt nervousness churn his stomach at the thought of turning into the highway. It would be just as bad there, but with less traffic lights to keep him in check. 

“Yeah. I refuse to get less than a 70 in this shitty course.”

“Aiming high,” Shiro joked. He knew a 70 was the equivalent to a perfect in the class Keith was currently taking. His friend often went looking for Shiro’s aid when it came to quantum physics. He borrowed his old notes and stared daggers into Shiro’s scribbled tips scattered throughout his old textbook. Shiro couldn’t recall the finite details the way he wanted to in order to help Keith, but he supported him when he could with his other classes to help alleviate some of the stress. 

“I just want this semester to end,” Keith admitted. Shiro risked taking his eyes off the snowy roads to look at Keith. He looked sad and tired. _Really_ tired, actually.

“I hear ya,” Shiro said instead. He cursed under his breath as he turned his windshield wipers onto the highest setting. It was becoming impossible to see. He had turned onto the highway successfully, but the stretch ahead was nothingness. White roads, white skies, lights were barely visible and fat snowflakes covered the windshield and Shiro’s line of sight.

“Should we stop?” Keith croaked, also realizing the predicament they were in. Shiro couldn’t tell if his car was in the middle of the lane or between two.

“No,” he said. “It’s better to keep moving. I’ll just have to be careful.”

Being careful was hard. Shiro almost hit a car to his left twice. Every spot was now his blind spot. Some drivers were still trying to move at the normal speeds despite the obscurity, putting other’s at risk.

“Shiro, can we stop? Or take the next exit?”

“Buddy we’re not even close to home—”

“Please Shiro. I don’t feel so good. I need to get out.”

Shiro shot Keith another look. Indeed, Keith had somehow managed to look worse than the last time Shiro glanced at his friend.

“Are you okay? What’s wrong? Keith you’re so pale.”

“I’m fine. Just hungry.”

“I have food in the car.”

“I just need some... I need a grocery store.”

“Keith I have food in the car, you don’t need to buy—”

“Shiro, _please._ I need... Can you trust me?”

Shiro shot Keith a worried glance. He was looking worse by the minute.

“Of course,” Shiro whispered softly. He carefully checked his mirrors, as useless as that was, and made his way to the right lane; taking the upcoming exit and trying to navigate the snowy streets. 

***

“Fuck,” Keith squawked as he closed his eyes and rested the back of his head on the seat cushion. “This isn’t good.”

Keith looked awful. They had desperately tried finding a grocer that didn’t close early due to the blizzard, but with no luck. Shiro was parked in an empty lot, unsure if he would be able to navigate either of them home in the current weather conditions if they didn’t find what Keith was looking for soon. When Shiro suggested trying the gas station or convenience stores in the area, Keith shook his head.

“Buddy...” Shiro started. He placed his hand on Keith’s shoulder, and the other immediately jerked away. Shiro’s hand hovered over Keith, shocked. His friend had _never_ reacted like that to one of his touches. Never.

“Sorry,” Keith said while looking away. “Sorry Shiro, just... please. Don’t touch me.”

Shiro’s heart dropped into his stomach. What was going on?

“Keith... I’m sorry. I don’t know—” Shiro’s voice came out raw. He felt like he was losing Keith and he had no idea why or how. “Can I take you to the hospital?”

Keith remained silent, eyes focused on his side of the window, away from Shiro.

“I need... raw meat,” Keith eventually explained.

“C-come again?”

“I know. It’s weird. But I’m going to pass out if I don’t get something with...”

Shiro leaned closer, but Keith didn’t continue.

“Keith,” Shiro whispered, terrified for his friend. He needed to get medical attention right away. He was speaking complete and utter nonsense. Without thinking, Shiro placed his hand on the other’s shoulder. Usually this was fine. There were about three layers of clothes between Shiro’s hand and Keith’s skin. So when Keith elbowed Shiro away, yelling at him not to touch him, Shiro felt defeated. 

And then he saw it. 

“Your teeth...” Shiro murmured. Keith turned further away from Shiro, curling in on himself and burying his face in his backpack.

“Keith, explain what the fuck is going on.”

“You’re not going to believe me,” Keith managed to say, voice muffled.

“Listen. You’re my best friend, Keith. We’ve gone through so much together. You know I’m here for you no matter what, right?”

“Shiro...”

“Right?”

Keith sighed heavily. “Right.”

“Tell me what’s going on.”

“I’m... sort of like... a vampire?”

“Are you telling me or asking me?” Shiro joked. He joked because he didn’t know how to process that piece of information. He joked because he was certain Keith would turn to him with a big goofy grin and scream _Sike_ _!_ and maybe kiss his forehead for being a sweet, gullible idiot.

Nothing like that happened.

Instead, Keith peeked at Shiro from behind his backpack, and Shiro _saw_ it. He saw his slit pupils, dark behind yellow tinted sclera. 

Shiro swallowed. “Show me your teeth,” he whispered. He could barely hear his own voice, but Keith seemed to understand. He sat up straighter, lifting his face away from his backpack. Shiro eyed the two sharp canines jutting over his lower lip. 

“Okay.” Shiro said as he took in his friend’s change in appearance. “Okay. So you are... a vampire.”

“Half-vampire,” Keith corrected. “Pops was human.”

“Oh right, how could I forget. So you're half-vampire, half-Korean.”

Keith groaned into his bag. He knew Shiro well, and Shiro was the type to try to lighten the atmosphere with bad jokes, no matter how intense the situation deemed.

“And you need grocery store meat because you are also part-zombie...”

“I need the blood,” Keith explained, ignoring his friend’s weird coping mechanism. “I ran out yesterday. I was supposed to go after my exam but Hunk started talking to me about this stupid class and I realized that I missed a whole section on the review sheet and I just...”

“You haven’t eaten for _two days?!”_ Shiro shouted. “Keith! During exams? Why didn’t you tell me? What were you thinking?!”

“I don’t know. I wasn’t. I’m stupid.”

Shiro immediately regretted yelling at his friend. “You’re not stupid Keith,” he promised, voice gentle. If Keith admitted his origins to Shiro a day ago, without the physical proof, would he believe him? Probably not, Shiro realized to his horror. And Keith had undoubtedly reached the same conclusion.

“Keith, I want to help,” Shiro added. When he placed his hand on Keith’s shoulder, the other didn’t shove him away. He did withdraw from the touch, however slightly, which earned him a concerned squeeze from Shiro. 

“Tell me how this works. Maybe we can come up with something.”

Keith closed his eyes as he spoke, refusing to make eye-contact with Shiro. “Feeding live from animals is the best option. I can get into the vein and take what I need without struggle.”

Which explained why Keith’s father owned a farm. 

“I can also last on just... raw meat for a bit. Things like freshly cut lamb, liver... basically whatever looks bloodier, I’ll take. It’s not much but I can last daily on that. I have packs of blood sent to me from mom as an emergency resource too.”

“And you ran out?”

“Two weeks ago...”

“Tw— Keith!”

_Calm down. You’ll only spook him._ Shiro was just grateful Keith was letting him hold his shoulder.

“I know!” Keith said as he buried his face in his bag. “I’m usually on top of it. It’s just... exams have been fucking with me.”

“Okay. That’s okay, we’ll figure it out. So we need something with blood. The grocery stores are closed and I doubt you can slide a nurse at the nearest hospital a crisp ten-dollar bill and ask for the freshest type AB pack they can find, right?”

Keith only nodded into his backpack.

“And there are no animals to be found in this blizzard.”

Another nod.

“So, can’t you take from me?”

Keith froze. Thirty excruciatingly silent seconds passed between them before Shiro spoke again.

“Keith. Use me.”

“No Shiro.”

“Why not? It why you keep shying away from my touches, right? It’s fine Keith, you have my permission.”

“I’m not sucking your blood.”

Keith’s voice was firm and authoritative despite his fragile state.

“What happens if you don’t drink soon?”

Keith shrugged. “A coma maybe?”

“Alright, you know what? We’re doing this,” Shiro proclaimed while unzipping his coat. Despite Keith’s protests, Shiro didn’t stop. He threw off his winter coat, followed by the black hoodie worn beneath. The last thing Shiro removed was his t-shirt, revealing his bare torso to Keith.

Keith’s face was buried in his bag. Shiro now knew that the other was trying to block out the sight and smell of his blood. It made sense why Keith never got close to others. His instincts to draw their blood must have been strong if not overwhelming on days where he wasn’t full.

“Keith, look at me.”

Keith didn’t stir. Shiro placed his hand on Keith’s, and very slowly, guided his palm to rest over Shiro’s chest.

“Just a little. Enough to last the night.”

Keith was peeking at him now, eyebrows scrunched in uncertainty, yet pointed, reptilian-esque pupils revealing his genuine consideration. 

“I trust you Keith. I know you won’t hurt me.”

Keith moved. It was slow and deliberate. His eyes jumped from Shiro’s neck up to his eyes several times as he leaned closer, checking Shiro’s expression for any tells of uncertainty or regret. Even when being the one in danger, Keith was still looking out for Shiro.

“Just a little,” Keith repeated, his breath hot against Shiro’s skin. Shiro tried not to gasp when Keith licked a hot stripe against his skin. He would have to ask about that later, given that he did not feel the puncture of skin despite anticipating it. No, by the time Shiro realized Keith was sucking his blood, the other had already taken his third big gulp.

Shiro closed his eyes, letting himself relax against Keith. 

“You have soft hair,” he murmured eventually. Shiro felt extremely light-headed, almost like he was drunk. His rationale was gone as he kissed Keith’s head and caressed his cheek. It was something he would sit back and wonder about at a later time, but in the present, Shiro found kissing Keith to be the most natural thing in the world. The spell died down almost as quickly as it started, however. Keith ran his hot tongue over Shiro’s neck one last time (and Shiro swore he kissed his neck as well), before pulling away.

“Wow. That was weird,” Shiro blinked. It was hard seeing Keith despite the light in his car being on. 

“You’re going to feel light headed for a bit... sorry Shiro.”

Shiro’s vision eventually focused enough for him to get a good look at Keith. He reached forward and cupped the other’s face between his hands, his thumbs gently caressing his smooth cheeks as he spoke.

“You look much better,” Shiro smiled. “You’ve got some colour back in your cheeks.”

Keith nodded bashfully. “Thank you, Shiro. And thanks for not... freaking out.”

“It all makes more sense now, honestly,” Shiro said with a shrug.

Keith nodded. “So. You gonna put your clothes back on or...”

“Right,” Shiro smiled awkwardly. “And I know you need to go home to sleep but I don’t think there’s any way we’re going to get you there without it taking another hour.”

“Shit,” Keith frowned prettily.

_Prettily?_

Shiro was definitely a little light-headed and disjointed.

“Crash at my place?” Shiro offered. “It’s nothing we haven’t done before,” he added after seeing Keith’s uncertainty. “I can test you on your problem sets until you pass out.”

“That sounds horrible,” Keith grumbled. “I accept,” he added softly. 

“Good,” Shiro grinned. He threw on his clothes and gave Keith one last glance before pulling out of the empty lot and heading towards his small apartment. It took them a while to get there, and by the time the two settled down for the night, neither wanted to study. Shiro made Keith sleep in the same bed as him. Now that the cat was out of the bag, and now that Keith was full for the night, there was no reason not to be close. Shiro wanted Keith to know that he wasn’t afraid or weirded out by him. The revelation was only going to make their relationship stronger.

***

“Shiro?” Keith asks. Shiro was going to answer. He was going to at least hum to let the other know he was listening, but Keith spoke again before he could do either. “Shiro... did you kiss me earlier?”

Shiro didn’t say anything. He knew it was still the middle of the night, and he knew his room was exceptionally dark, yet Shiro didn’t risk opening his eyes in fear of being compelled to speak up about what he did to Keith. He was hoping Keith didn’t notice his slip in judgement when incongruous. 

Keith huffed, his hot breath tickling Shiro’s nose. After a moment, Shiro felt something soft press against his lips. When Shiro opened his eyes, Keith had already turned away.

**Author's Note:**

> ASCEEEEE MERRY CHRISTMASSSSSSS!!!!!! ♥♥♥
> 
> I love you lots! You, my bootiful friend, have been nothing but great to me. I adore talking to you and getting all sweaty-palmed at your beautiful art.  
> Hope you enjoyed this wittle vampire fic uwu lob you ♥


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